24 Uninhibited Hours
by penny1200
Summary: What would you do if the world was going to end in 24 hours?  This is a chronicle of Rachel Berry's attempt to answer this question.
1. Prologue

Spoilers: Up to "Sexy".

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. I also do not own the song 2012.

A/N: I don't know if anything like this has been done before (without zombies), and if it has, then I apologize. My story will be focused on Rachel's plan - the end of the world thing is merely a catalyst for what will basically be _Rachel Berry Unleashed, _not the focus of the story. In spite of how depressing the summary probably sounds, I plan to handle this plot with humor and, hopefully, create a rather light-hearted story. Also, the idea behind the plot was inspired by the song 2012 by Evolove. They're a great band; check 'em out on Youtube if you haven't heard any of their stuff. Since this plot is different from anything I've ever done before, I'd love to hear what you guys think. Please read and review! Thanks! 

_In the year 2012  
Every thing you know and love  
Will come to an end  
Is it fact or is it fiction?  
Government and politicians  
Are acting quite suspicious  
Is there maybe something to this?  
Is there something they're concealing?_

We're filling the silence and feeding the void  
It's too close for comfort  
The world is destroyed  
Is there a solution?  
Our hands are in the air  
It's a countdown to the end

Till the year 2012  
Do we sit and count the hours?  
Do we all just live in fear?  
If in fact there is no future  
Some say the poles are turning  
Some say it's Armageddon  
Some say a world war's waging, social chaos, mass hysteria

We're filling the silence and feeding the void  
It's too close for comfort  
The world is destroyed  
Is there a solution?  
Our hands are in the air  
It's a countdown to the end  
2012

I see the writing on the wall  
Together we fight or united we fall

We're filling the silence and feeding the void  
It's too close for comfort  
The world is destroyed  
Is there a solution?  
Our hands are in the air  
It's a countdown to the end  
2012

"I can confirm that the reports leaked to the press are true. Three days ago, the Hubble telescope sent back images of an asteroid approaching Earth. It is expected to hit within the next twenty-four hours. We have launched a rescue mission, but the odds of success are extremely low. I ask that all citizens try not to panic. This would be a good day to bond with friends and family, and if there is anything that you wish to do with your remaining time, you should do it now. Thank you and God bless."

Rachel stared at the screen where the President had stood just seconds before and announced the end of the world. She had read several of the rumors, but she had never believed that they might actually be true. Given the silence that had flooded her first period Spanish class, she knew that she wasn't the only one who had been stunned by the news.

When the press had announced the President's address, she, and most others, had expected that he would extinguish the growing public fear by declaring the rumors false. The only reason the teachers had decided to show the broadcast in school was because of the way the apocalyptic news stories had ruined student concentration. The reassurance that they were false was supposed to restore order so that the students could focus on their studies.

Clearly that wasn't going to happen now.

The daytime talk show that had come on after the President's announcement filled the silence of the classroom, but nobody was paying any attention to it. They were all lost in their own despair and panic over the news. Unnerved by the quiet, Rachel stared around the room at her fellow students. A couple of the girls were crying and one boy's jaw was clenched as if he was fighting back tears. Mr. Schuester was sitting at his desk staring down at his clasped hands. Everyone else was staring off into space.

Rachel fought back her own panic. She would not fall apart. She had faced down hostile audiences (including cat-throwing senior citizens), slushies, and daily insults. She would tackle the end of the world with the same grace and serenity with which she had always faced the vast difficulties in her life. She just needed a plan.

Attention focused, Rachel reached under her seat and pulled out her Spanish notebook. Opening it to a blank page, she picked up her favorite gold pen and tried to decide where to start. Putting the pen to the paper, she added a heading.

Rachel Berry's List of Things to Do Before the World Ends

Scowling, she decided that she didn't care for that title. It was entirely too long and unwieldy. Crossing it out, she added a slightly shorter title underneath the words.

My Final Day To Do List

She paused to compare the two and then gave a slight nod before beginning the actual list. It was time to do all of the things that she'd always wanted or been curious about but been too afraid to try. She wasn't about to waste the short time she had left.

1. Cut class without getting caught.  
2. Give a solo performance in a public location, just like in a musical.  
3. Kiss a girl.  
4. Pull a prank on Jacob Ben-Israel.

She hesitated on that one. Rachel wasn't sure if she should follow through on it, especially given the numerous pranks she'd been on the receiving end of, but Jacob Ben-Israel was so creepy. Surely there wasn't any harm in playing a prank on the reason why she couldn't leave her blinds open. Shrugging, she continued with her list.

5. Slushie Karofsky.  
6. Confront Santana and Quinn.  
7. Confront Finn.  
8. Learn how to pole dance.  
9. Tell my dads I love them.  
10. Visit Shelby one last time.

Rachel stopped there. Ten seemed like a nice, even number. Setting the pen down, she reread her list to ensure that she hadn't forgotten anything. Her eyes caught on number eight. Her desire to learn how to dance like that was a secret that she had never given voice to before. She knew that other people would probably look down on her for it, so she considered crossing it off. However, just because she was a virgin who often preferred wholesome activities didn't mean that she didn't want to feel sexy occasionally. Was it really her fault that nobody else seemed to understand that? Ultimately, she decided to leave it on the list.

There was one other thing that she wanted to do before the world ended. Tapping her chin with the end of her pen, Rachel debated whether or not to add it to the list. Wanting it was one thing, but actually putting it in writing was another. Finally, she decided to just add it. After the pole dancing thing, it wouldn't exactly be a shocking desire.

11. Lose virginity.

Once again, she read what she had written. The final addition made the list feel more complete and definitely more honest. Satisfied, she set the pen back down. A weird feeling ran down her spine, and she looked up. She was shocked to find the rest of the class looking at her. Maybe her writing had been louder than she'd thought; no doubt it had stuck out when she wasn't deep in thought like everyone else. Shaking off the disturbing feeling the extra attention was giving her, Rachel tore the paper out of her notebook, folded it up, and slid it into the shallow pocket of her short yellow skirt.

As first period passed in nearly complete silence, Rachel considered her list. While she was perfectly capable of completing several items on her own, she would require assistance for some of the more nefarious ones.

And she knew just who to ask.

A/N 2: So, the basic setup of this story will be one list item per chapter, not necessarily in order. The chapters will likely be shorter than what they are in my other stories to hold to this format, although the story will fill out beyond just the completion of the list, which is the main focus. The story will also probably be shorter than my others. Finally, I expect that this story will mostly be from Rachel's POV since it is her list, after all, although I may change it up as feels right.


	2. Chapter 1

Spoilers: Has spoilers up to and including 'Original Song'. So, if you haven't seen tonight's (3/15/2011) episode, don't read this chapter unless you want a couple of small spoilers.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

A/N: Here's the second chapter of this story and the first list item. Again, list items will not be completed in the order she wrote them, so any item could be used for any chapter. I also decided to include the list at the start of every chapter for simplicity's sake since I often refer to the items by their numbers to streamline the writing. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please read and review! Thanks! 

Rachel Berry's List of Things to Do Before the World Ends  
My Final Day To-Do List

1. Cut class without getting caught.  
2. Give a solo performance in a public location, just like in a musical.  
3. Kiss a girl.  
4. Pull a prank on Jacob Ben-Israel.  
5. Slushie Karofsky.  
6. Confront Santana and Quinn.  
7. Confront Finn.  
8. Learn how to pole dance.  
9. Tell my dads I love them.  
10. Visit Shelby one last time.  
11. Lose virginity.

Rachel knew that math was Noah's next class, so there was only one logical location to look for him. Once she had reached the door to the nurse's office, Rachel stood against the wall, books clutched to her chest, and waited for her target to appear.

As she had expected, just thirty seconds later, Noah approached her location. After he said goodbye to a shell-shocked Mike and a crying Tina, Rachel stepped forward.

"I have a proposition for you," she greeted him.

He smirked and stopped in front of her.

"I know you want to spend your last day on Earth with me, but shit, Berry, so does every other girl in this school."

Rachel took a moment to watch all of the girls walking past the two of them without even sparing him a glance.

Raising an eyebrow skeptically at Noah, she asked, "Really? Because they seem quite oblivious to your presence from what I can see. Oh, except for her," she added pointing at a Cheerio who was flipping him off as she passed.

Noah frowned and returned the gesture before bringing his gaze back to Rachel.

"She was a fucking lousy lay, anyway."

Rachel let out an impatient huff. This was wasting precious time.

"Fine," he conceded. "What was your proposal?"

She wrinkled her nose and corrected him, "It's a proposition; I don't like the word proposal. It feels far too personal, and this is more like a business arrangement."

He scowled at her.

"What the hell ever, Berry. Just get to it."

Taking a deep breath, Rachel explained.

"In light of the rather unfortunate news that the world is ending sometime within the next 24 hours, I have created a list of activities that I wish to complete before then. Several of them are of a sketchy nature and I find that I require assistance to experience them successfully."

She met Noah's eyes to ensure that he was paying attention. She was pleased to find that he was definitely intrigued.

"As I believe that you have burnt too many bridges," she continued, pointing out another girl who was gesturing rudely at Noah, "to enjoy your final 24 hours having sex as I suspect you were hoping to, you appear to be free to assist me in achieving my final goals."

"What could you possibly want to do that anyone would consider 'sketchy'?" he asked and then sneered, "Nice word, by the way."

She refrained from rolling her eyes at him in annoyance. Why did everyone insist in their erroneous belief that 'good girls' couldn't possibly ever want to be bad? Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her list and unfolded it.

"One item on my list that falls under that qualification is...Hey! Give that back!"

While she was talking, Noah had snatched the list right out of her hands.

"One - cut class without getting caught. Two - give a public performance...what the hell, Berry? What the fuck kind of list is this for your final day?" he questioned, looking up from the list. "Where are the fun things? Where's the looting, fighting, and sex?"

Rachel sighed.

"Keep reading."

Looking bored, he turned back to the list.

"Shit, Berry. You want to kiss a girl? Since when are you interested in girls?"

Rachel grinned; she was pretty sure it took a lot to truly shock Noah, but it seemed like she'd accomplished it.

"I'm not really interested in girls, but I must admit that I'm curious about what it would be like. Today seems like a good time to find out."

He muttered, "Fucking hot," before lowering his eyes to the list. After a couple of seconds, he said, "I get Karofsky, but why Jewfro? I thought he was into you."

"He is way too interested. Did you know that he climbed up the tree outside of my window and then into my room this summer? He did it in broad daylight, too. I came home and he was sniffing my panties. It was the creepiest use of a tree since Edward Cullen used one to climb into Bella's room and watch her sleep every night while he still wanted to eat her." Rachel gave a delicate shudder. "I've barely been able to sleep at night since. I want him to experience at least a tenth of the humiliation and horror I feel every time I think about that day."

Puck's expression was a mixture of disgust and anger. "Why didn't you call the fucking cops?"

"I've called them so often in the past because of Jacob and all of the vandalism that they don't come to my house anymore," she admitted.

She waited patiently while he read more.

"Quinn, Finn, and Santana - fucking boring. Pole dancing?" he asked curiously before laughing. "Oh, I would fucking pay to see that. Berry, pole dancing," he snorted.

Rachel felt distinctly offended.

"What's so wrong with that?"

"Please, Berry, you've never danced sexy. Do you remember Push It? Tina and Mercedes were hot; you were just fucking ridiculous. Face it, you can't pull off sexy and that's the biggest factor in pole dancing."

Angry beyond reason, Rachel poked him hard in the chest. "This is why I didn't want you to read the list. And I can too pole dance; I just need someone to teach me."

Puck rolled his eyes at her and scanned the rest of the list.

"Boring, boring, oh...I'll tell you what, Berry. I'll help you with your list in exchange for number eleven."

Rachel blushed as she remembered that was the number to losing her virginity.

"I thought you said I wasn't sexy," she retorted.

"I'm guessing that you're damn hot under those little blouses and tiny skirts you wear. I can work with that," he stated, sliding his eyes down her body and then back up.

A couple of confused emotions danced through her with his words. On one hand, she was extremely offended that he would simply 'work with' her. On the other, she had to admit that Noah might be a good choice for her first time. Surely with his experience, he would make things enjoyable. And it wasn't as if she had a firm idea of who she wanted to have sex with. Noah was as good a choice as any; at least she knew him.

"I suppose you would be an acceptable choice," she finally agreed. "Fine. In exchange for your assistance, I'll give you number eleven. I guess _I _can work with _that_."

She held out her hand to him as an official gesture of their partnership.

Taking Rachel's hand in a warm grip, Noah practically purred, "You won't just work with it; you'll fucking enjoy it."

A shiver ran up Rachel's spine at his tone.

Why did she feel like she'd just made a deal with the devil?

ooooo

Everyone was so out of it that Rachel was able to sneak into the room ten minutes late, and nobody even noticed. It was her government class, but the teacher had apparently decided to just use it as a study hall. As Rachel took in her surroundings, it was no wonder why. Several of the students were on their phones, talking to their friends or asking their parents to call them out. Rachel wondered why they didn't just sneak out, but she also knew that it was hard to break a habit. That was probably why Noah was at the nurse's instead of cutting.

Trying to ignore the multiple conversations around her, Rachel opened her notebook and began to scribble down a list of songs. She needed to choose precisely the right one for her public performance. It was unfortunate that she hadn't known the world would end today, or she would have written something appropriate.

Rachel was so focused that she jumped when the shrill shriek of an incorrectly tuned speaker sounded. She glared up at the intercom near the ceiling. She really hoped Principal Figgins wasn't about to close down the school; she'd never accomplish number one on her list if he did.

"Good morning, everyone."

When it was Noah's smooth voice that filled the air, Rachel groaned. She was quite sure she didn't want to hear whatever he was about to say. The rest of the students in her class quieted down to pay attention to the announcement.

"Is that Noah Puckerman?" a girl to her right whispered.

"I want to make a little announcement. Rachel Berry is accepting kisses today, no questions asked. That's right; if you want to kiss Rachel Berry, she'll let you. For those of you who don't know, she's the long-legged Glee captain who runs around in tiny skirts. And I can tell you from experience that the way she uses her tongue should be fucking illegal."

With all eyes on her, Rachel blushed and buried her head in her folded arms on top of the desk. She was going to kill him!

"So if..."

"Mr. Puckerman, what are you doing in my office?" Principal Figgins' voice cut off Noah's.

"I'm just..."

The intercom went dead. The room was quiet enough that Rachel risked lifting her head. She was completely humiliated to find everyone still staring at her.

"He's just joking," she broke the silence weakly.

Disinterested, Ms. Palmer picked her phone up and dialed. That was the cue for the others to return to whatever they were doing before Noah's announcement. Relief rushed through Rachel. Maybe everyone would just see Noah's offer as nothing more than a big joke. She grew more and more comfortable as the period passed and everyone left her alone.

Then, five minutes before the bell was due to ring, the boy sitting in front of her turned around. Without warning, he leaned forward and kissed her, forcing his tongue between her clenched lips and practically down her throat. Gagging, Rachel pulled back and slapped him.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked in outrage.

Rubbing the reddening mark on his cheek, he glowered at her. "I was kissing you."

"You were trying to choke me with your tongue," she accused, scrubbing at her mouth with her hand.

"You might be hot, but you're a bitch," he stated, turning back around.

Yes, she was going to kill Noah.

ooooo

Toward the end of the next break, Rachel could be found hidden behind the same door where she'd heard the devastating news of Finn and Quinn's reunion just over a year ago. No, she wasn't working on item seven of her list despite the close vicinity to Finn's locker. The door was near the exit closest to auto shop, the third hour class which Rachel knew that Noah attended faithfully. It seemed like a good location from which to ambush and murder him as he passed.

She swore that was what she was going to do. In fact, it had become number twelve on her list; she'd even written it down. She was sure that she could find someone else to help her with her list - preferably someone who wouldn't set the entire male population of the school on her.

Because that was what he had done. She had spent the entire break dodging boys in the hallways to get to this door. Apparently since they were facing death anyway, the males of the school had decided that it didn't matter that they'd spent years mistreating her and considering her a loser. If she was freely giving out kisses, then they wanted one. Anytime Rachel wasn't fast enough to get away, she'd end up with some random tongue in her mouth. In three minutes hurrying through the halls, she'd experienced the questionable skill of one basketball player, two football players, and three other random boys, and every single one of them thought that shoving their whole tongue in her mouth was an appealing idea. By far the most terrifying, though, was Jacob Ben-Israel. Luckily, he hadn't caught her despite stalking her since she'd left the classroom. He did get a grip on her arm once, but Mercedes had been nearby and was quick to jerk him away. Rachel had time for little more than a grateful smile and a thanks thrown in the other girl's direction before she'd had to run off to get away from a rather intimidating hockey player that had been headed her way.

When her most fervent stalker stopped just two feet away from her hiding place, Rachel held her breath and tried not to draw attention to herself.

"Have you seen Rachel Berry?" Jacob asked someone that Rachel couldn't see.

"No," came the answering voice.

Rachel recognized that voice. It belonged to Brittany. She hoped that Brittany hadn't seen her or that, if she had, she wouldn't give away her position by doing something obvious like looking right at the door.

When Rachel sneezed, she was sure Jacob would catch her. After twenty seconds of horrified waiting, the door swung back and Rachel jumped in fear, immediately covering her mouth.

"Why are you behind the door?" Brittany asked, peering at Rachel in concern. "Did you lose something back there?"

"I'm hiding from Jacob Ben-Israel," Rachel whispered.

"Oh!" Brittany smiled. "He's gone. I told him I hadn't seen you just like I always do."

"Thank God," Rachel murmured with relief, straightening away from the wall and stepping around Brittany into the hall. The instant she did, a familiar-looking freshman kissed her quickly and then hurried away. Scowling, Rachel reflexively wiped her mouth even though the kiss had been the least invasive that she'd received thus far. Snickering drew her attention and she turned toward the sound. She narrowed her eyes when she saw Noah.

"Why did you make that announcement?" she asked, marching over to him and hitting him in the chest. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

"I was helping you kiss a girl," he defended himself, still smirking. "It got me caught by Figgins. He sent me to math. Math, _fucking math_, Berry. I haven't had to go to math once in all four of my years here. How about a little sympathy for me?"

"So sorry you had to do what I've done every single school day for four years," she apologized sarcastically. "And your plan didn't work. Instead of kissing a girl, I've been mouth-raped by eight different guys and about half of the school's male population keeps trying to corner me. How was that announcement supposed to help me achieve goal number three?"

"Santana told me that most of the girls think you're gay since you don't put out. Several of the girls in this school are at least bi-curious, so I figured that at least one of them would take you up on the invitation. How was I supposed to know that half the school jacks off to you?"

"First of all, that's disgusting. Secondly, that has to be the worst plan I've ever heard," she stated decisively. "Did you even think about Jacob Ben-Israel? You know, the guy who's been stalking me and has even broken into my house? He's been after me since class ended. I only shook him with help from Mercedes and Brittany. You basically handed him a legitimate reason to tirelessly stalk me. If he catches me, how long do you think it'll take for him to rape me? Because it's not like he'll have to face legal consequences if he does anymore."

Rachel had finally voiced one of her worst fears. She had been terrified for quite a while that Jacob Ben-Israel would eventually corner and rape her. Now that he wouldn't have to face the law if he did...

"I won't fucking let him do that, Berry. Just try to avoid him for a little longer, and I'll figure out a way to get rid of him for the rest of the day," he vowed seriously.

"And what about the other boys?" Rachel questioned.

Puck laughed. "Sit back and enjoy the fact that you're getting more action in one day than I get in a month."

Rachel let out a short breath and muttered, "You would say that."

"You want to kiss a girl?"

When Brittany spoke, Rachel remembered that she was still standing near the door. She could only imagine what the blonde had thought of their conversation. Well, there was no point in hiding it from her.

Rachel nodded. "It's on my list of things to do before the asteroid hits."

Brittany grinned and said, "Okay."

As the bell rang, she took a couple of bouncy steps forward until she was standing right in front of Rachel. Leaning forward, Brittany placed her lips against Rachel's.

The contact was very light, like she was testing the waters. Rachel would qualify the kiss as a member of the butterfly category. Unsure of herself, she stiffened slightly at the unfamiliar sensation. When Brittany lifted a hand to her cheek and began to stroke her thumb across Rachel's temple, Rachel relaxed into the kiss. Sensing this, Brittany increased the pressure so that it was a real kiss. She slid her tongue against Rachel's lips, so Rachel let her jaw loosen. After the briefest of contacts between their tongues, they pulled away from each other.

Brittany smiled brightly. "Now you've kissed a girl. How was it?"

Rachel took a moment to consider that question. After a few moments, she answered Brittany honestly.

"It was...pleasant. I must admit that I prefer kissing guys, but that wasn't quite as awkward as I thought it would be. Thank you for helping me, Brittany." Rachel frowned in confusion. "Why did you help me?"

The blonde tilted her head to one side in consideration.

"You're pretty, and you smell like strawberries - I really like strawberries. You also wrote my favorite song."

"Get It Right?"

"No. My Headband."

Rachel started laughing. She never would have guessed that Brittany's favorite song was her ridiculous first effort at song writing. Brittany soon joined her giggling.

When Rachel caught sight of the strained expression on Noah's face, she addressed him.

"What's wrong, Noah?"

"I've got...umm..."

Stumbling over his words with a glazed expression on his face, Noah walked hurriedly down the hall and entered the nearest men's room. Rachel exchanged a glance with Brittany and the two of them burst into renewed snickering.

"We should probably get to gym now," Rachel announced shortly after. It was their one shared class.

"Okay," Brittany agreed easily. "What else is on your list?"

As they walked down the slowly clearing hallway together, Rachel explained her list.

Mentally, she crossed off number three.

A/N 2: So, I will admit that I was giggling madly while I wrote the segment with the announcement and with Rachel hiding behind the door. I do love to torture her. Plus, I was already in a good mood because I was actually working on those segments during the commercials from tonight's episode. You can probably tell from all of the references to 'Original Song'.

Also, in case it wasn't clear from the references, this story is taking place at the end of their senior year aka 2012 (the song this was inspired by).


	3. Chapter 2

Spoilers: Since it's been so long since I last updated, spoilers are only up to season 2's 'Original Song'. Mostly goes AU after that, although bits of later episodes may slip in as I see fit.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

A/N: I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to update, but honestly all of my writing inspiration has been dried up for the last several months, especially the Glee stuff. Quite frankly, I don't care for what the show has turned Rachel into, having never really let her progress beyond being a selfish girl who is focused only on her stardom and pining after/being with Finn. She had so much potential for character growth in season one, and I feel like the writers completely dropped the ball by not taking advantage of it. That said, my story will mostly be AU past season two's 'Original Song', so there is no Finn/Rachel, Karofsky hasn't attempted suicide, and Puck never slept with Shelby. Please read and review! Thanks! 

Rachel Berry's List of Things to Do Before the World Ends  
My Final Day To Do List

1. Cut class without getting caught.  
2. Give a solo performance in a public location, just like in a musical.  
3. Kiss a girl.  
4. Pull a prank on Jacob Ben-Israel.  
5. Slushie Karofsky.  
6. Confront Santana and Quinn.  
7. Confront Finn.  
8. Learn how to pole dance.  
9. Tell my dads I love them.  
10. Visit Shelby one last time.  
11. Lose virginity.  
12. Murder Puck.

Initially, Rachel was annoyed when Mr. Harris, her gym teacher, decided to continue with class as usual. He made them all change into their PE clothes and head outside to play soccer. Rachel wasn't a huge fan of the sport, but she had to admit that actually doing something provided a sense of normalcy. That sense hadn't lasted long before the anomaly occurred.

So, now, Rachel found herself staring up at her gym teacher in horror.

"Why did you do that?" she yelled, backing away from him.

For the very first time, Rachel wished that she had Coach Sylvester for her physical education class. Granted, she was difficult to the point of bordering on abusive (and, occasionally, she crossed that line), but at least she wouldn't have subjected Rachel to the last ten seconds of torture.

Because Rachel's PE teacher, Mr. Harris, had just kissed her.

Ignoring the laughter of the students standing around them, Rachel glared at the young teacher. Sure, she, like most girls, had a small crush on the attractive man; it was only natural given his fit runner's body. The fact that he was only a few years older than her definitely increased his appeal.

But he was still her teacher!

Smirking in a way that reminded her strangely of Noah, he responded, "I thought that was the deal: accepting kisses, no questions asked."

"Not from you!" Rachel exclaimed before quickly adding, "Not that I want anyone else to kiss me, either, but you're my teacher so that just makes it really wrong!"

"Oh, come on," he stated, a sleazy vibe working its way into his tone, "it's not like you're underage."

"Well, no, but...you're still my teacher," she managed in her outrage. "Ugh! No! Just no!"

Turning on her heel, she stomped away from the group, ignoring their laughter and catcalls. She needed to scrub the taste of wrongness out of her mouth.

"Rachel, wait!" Brittany called from behind her.

Rachel paused just long enough for the other girl to run up to her.

"Where are you going? Class isn't over yet," she said, cocking her head to one side curiously.

"I am going to my locker for my spare toothbrush and toothpaste, and then I am going to scour away Mr. Harris's germs. I will not finish this class when I feel so violated," she explained, shivering delicately.

"But he's cute," Brittany announced, confused.

"And he's a teacher, Brittany," Rachel sighed. "It's simply wrong for him to take advantage of his students, end of the world or not. I'll see you later, okay."

Brittany nodded, her ponytail bobbing, and ran back to the class. Scowling at the fact that they were still laughing about the kiss, Rachel stormed off in the direction of the school. Really, some people could be so immature.

She was walking past the shop building when a broad chest entered her field of vision, bringing her to a halt. Still annoyed, she glanced up at the person to tell him to move only to discover Noah staring down at her.

"What?" she growled in an uncharacteristically rough manner.

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Rough class?"

"Mr. Harris kissed me," she snarled at him. "Apparently he thought that your announcement was an invitation to the teachers too."

The amusement in his eyes didn't encourage Rachel to remove the recently added number twelve from her list. If anything, it just increased her urge to strangle him.

"You're the only girl I know who'd get pissed because pretty-boy Harris kissed her."

"It was highly inappropriate."

Noah sighed. "How do you expect to finish your list with the stick up your ass? This is why you'll suck at pole-dancing."

Highly offended and a little hurt by his opinion, Rachel frowned.

"Don't you have a class to attend?"

Noah shrugged.

"Not really. No one's doing anything in shop today. So I think it's time to take care of number one on your list."

Rachel's brow furrowed as she tried to remember what she had listed in the top spot. Her expression cleared quickly upon realizing.

"Cutting class?" she clarified. He nodded. "Oh, but I can't right now. I have to change first."

"You go running back into the school and you won't ever finish number one," he pointed out with a scowl.

She shook her head. "I'm in my gym clothes right now. I do not intend to spend my last day on Earth with the McKinley High logo plastered across my T-shirt."

Argument settled in her mind, Rachel stepped around Noah and continued her walk back to the school. She had only managed a couple of steps when a strong arm circled her waist and her feet left the ground. The world suddenly facing the wrong direction, Rachel let out a shriek.

"What are you doing, you Neanderthal?" she yelled.

Or at least tried to. The way he was holding her, tucked under his arm like a football and anchored around her waist, squished the breath out of her. Her cry of indignation sounded more like a breathless squeak. Squirming in discomfort and fury, she tried to get him to put her down.

"Stop it, Berry," he admonished, cursing when she kicked the back of his leg. "Or I'll drop you."

Rachel hesitated for a moment to consider. It took all of two seconds for her to decide that the pain of landing on her face outweighed the shame of being carried like a piece of sports equipment. Letting her arms, legs, and neck relax, she allowed herself to just dangle in his grasp. From her position, she silently watched the concrete change to pavement that glided away quickly as Noah's long stride ate up the yards to their destination. Tires came into view, letting her know that they were in the parking lot. After passing several vehicles, Noah stopped and set her upright on her feet.

Unable to help herself after the sheer humiliation that she had been put through over the past couple of hours, Rachel kicked Noah in the shin with as much force as she could muster.

"You will not manhandle me again!" she scolded him, ignoring his pained noises and death glare.

"Get in," he commanded her in a low growl.

Turning her nose up, she marched around the front of Noah's truck and climbed into the passenger side. After two doors slammed shut, Noah started the ignition. Pulling her seat belt on, Rachel turned her head to stare out the window and ignore her companion.

Mumbling a low stream of curses, Noah turned on the stereo as they pulled out of the parking lot. After thirty seconds of screeching guitar, Rachel decided that she'd had enough. Facing forward, she reached out and flipped the channel to her favorite pop station. As the strains of Kelly Clarkson's Stronger filled the air, she gave Noah a defiant stare, just daring him to try and change the station. His expression said that he was not pleased, but he left it alone and focused on the road. Slightly happier, Rachel turned back to the view out the side window.

The ride passed in silence until Rachel realized that they had pulled onto her street.

"Are we going to my house?" she questioned curiously.

"I figure decent clothes will make you stop acting like a total bitch," he said, not tearing his eyes away from the windshield.

Rachel huffed but she was secretly pleased. Maybe there was hope for the day if he was willing to put in the effort for her to have a satisfactory wardrobe.

A small smile curved her lips when she remembered that her list was safely in the pocket of her gym shorts and she could now cross off number one.

ooooo

_Why had he agreed to this again?_

Asking himself the question for at least the twentieth time that day, Puck looked around Berry's room. It hadn't changed much since the last time he was in it, back during the Run Joey Run train wreck. It was pink and yellow and so girly that he felt like he'd get a cavity from the sweetness of it all. Sitting on the edge of Berry's bed, he waited impatiently for her to finish showering. He hadn't wanted to wait, but she had widened those big brown eyes of hers and he hadn't been able to say no.

Taking advantage of the alone time, Puck thought about the President's announcement. He found it hard to believe that the world really was about to end thanks to an asteroid just like so many movies. Those movies always made it look badass, but in the real world, it was just fucking scary. Puck didn't want to think about his feelings, though, so he turned his attention back to Berry's mission.

At the thought of her list, he let out a small, decidedly not tough snort. It was just like Berry to make a list for what she wanted to do with her final day and then actually try to follow through. And, truth was, he was kind of, well, pleased that she had asked for his help with it. She clearly recognized what a true badass he was. That still didn't explain why he'd agreed to spend his last day helping her, though.

A satisfied smirk settled on his face when he remembered number eleven. Before the day was out, he was going to be sheathed so tightly inside of Berry that all of the annoyance would be worth it. He had a feeling that she would be much less irritating once her toned legs were wrapped around his waist.

His body was stirring to life when she entered the room dressed in a fresh skirt and a T-shirt that showed off slightly more cleavage than was normal for her. Unable to take his eyes off her boobs, he watched her walk past him on her way to the vanity, the scent of soap and strawberries following her. Without conscious thought, he reached out and snagged an arm around her, reeling her in.

"Noah?" she squeaked in a startled tone. "Wha..."

Her voice was cut off as he crushed his lips to hers. Thanks to her short height, they were a perfect fit, even with her standing and him sitting. Berry's body stiffened, so Puck gentled his kiss to coax out a response. It took a couple of seconds, but she finally let out a low moan and relaxed.

Taking the hint, Puck circled his legs around her calves and pulled her in closer to his body. His hands on her upper back, he started to slide them down the trim muscles. He could feel one of her hands in his hair and the other cupping the back of his neck. Thoroughly enjoying the taste of mint from her toothpaste and the unique something that was Rachel's alone, he skimmed his tongue along her lips.

That was all the urging she needed to open up to him. He took full advantage of the opportunity and slipped his tongue inside, tasting her fully. He groaned when she eagerly met his advances.

Placing one hand on the small of her back, Puck slipped the other lower along the curve of her waist to cup one firm ass cheek.

He was just internally congratulating himself for getting farther with her than ever before when he was suddenly grasping empty air.

Breathing heavily, he scanned the room until he found Berry standing in front of her vanity. He smugly noted that she was breathing every bit as hard as he was, her eyes slightly glazed.

"That was just a little taste of what you're in for when I fuck you," he declared huskily, breaking the silence.

When she visibly gulped before turning hastily away, Puck smirked.

_Oh, yeah. That was why he'd agreed to help her._

ooooo

Leaning over the vanity on the pretense of finding her lip gloss, Rachel caught her breath. That had been one fantastic kiss, much better than any of the others she'd experienced today. It had left her legs trembling and her panties moist. She was actually a little terrified of just how quickly Noah had been able to turn her on with a single kiss. So, when his hand had wandered to her butt, she'd panicked and fled.

Sure she wanted to cross number eleven off her list, but that didn't make it any less scary. A few more kisses like that, though, and she'd be tearing his clothes off with her teeth.

Cheeks red at the boldness of that thought, she tried to focus on the other items on her list. She was clean and dressed, so it was time to move on to another one of her goals. Control regained, she turned her attention to the self-satisfied boy on her bed.

Avoiding his eyes, she cleared her throat and unsteadily said, "We should figure out what to do about Jacob."

She knew it was the coward's way out, but she just wasn't ready to deal with number eleven yet.


End file.
